Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1914 — OUR BODIES ARE GOD’S TEMPLES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OUR BODIES ARE GOD’S TEMPLES

“Be Ye Riled Witb the Spirit”

The Unregenerate Their Prfvflegee. “If the Bpirit of God Dwell In You.” Greater Privilegee—Greater Responsibilities—Greater Honor* and Gloriea Baved to Human Perfection—Saved to Bpirit Perfection-Earthly Glory. Heavenly Glory.

Providence, R. L, Jan; U.—Pastor Russell preached here today. His text was, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”—l Corinthians 3:17. , The Pastor declared that this

Scripture could not be applied Indiscriminately to all men. Only the Church are the Temple of God in tbe sense the Apostle here mentions; for only such as have been regenerated, or begotten of the Holy Spirit, are sons of God. These have received a new life, and are Scrlpturally described as “New Creatures in Christ.” These have entered into a covenant witb God through the merit of Jeens, who imputes His righteousness to them, justifying them freely /from their unintentional Imperfections and weaknesses.

Then the Pastor pointed eat the distinction between these spirit-begotten New Creatures and the remainder of mankind, however jnst and well-in-tentioned. He showed that ordinarily we do not speak of humanity apart from their bodies; for, cut off from the body, they would be dead. We speak of such separation as dissolution. As tte union of life (vitality) with organism (body) forms the soul, or sentient being, so their separation causes the soul to cease. Death would be the end of humanity, had not God provided for the redemption of the race, and its restitution by resurrection. Restitution will be merely a bringing back of that which death Is now destroying —human, or earthly, bring. Next the speaker showed that anything done, either deliberately or carelessly, to Injure God’s workmanship would be sin. There is a Divine Law to the effect that whoever sins shall suffer. Whoever defiles his body, either by impure thoughts, angry thoughts, malicious thoughts, or by misusing it contrary’to Divine arrangement; or by drinking or by gluttony, is defiling the temple of hls own soul—the work of God.

Every vile thought or act, every pandering to appetite. Is sure to bring depravity of body or mind or both; and depravity, he claimed, is death at work. Unless such depravity be overcome through Christ, the end will be everlasting death, as is written. “The soul that slnneth, It shall die.” The same principle, said the Pastor, applies to all who do evil to others, either by poisoning their minds or their morals, or by Injuring their physical systems. Such do violence to God’s work, and degrade their own manhood. The operation of Divine Law will surely bring punishments, which, unheeded, will ultimately bring death—“everlasting destruction.’* We may warn every man along the broad Biblical line, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap,” continued the speaker. Whoever sows to the flesh—to sin. selfishness, meanness—to the fallen propensities—anger, malice, envy, hatred, strife, evil speaking, etc.—will be sure to reap correspondingly bitter experiences. This way. persisted in, will- finally bring him to the Second Death.

God’s Temple the Church. The Pastor then briefly reviewed Israel’s wilderness experiences. When God entered into covenant relationship with the Israelites, He manifested Himself by the Sbekinab Glory, which shone out from between the Cherubim covering the Mercy Seat in the Tabernacle. The Israelites drew near to God through His appointed servants. Aaron and hls sons, who had access to God’s presence* The Tabernacle was therefore the temple of God, but it was merely a tent After the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. God appeared there instead, and manifested His presence In the same manner. Then the Pastor explained fully that the Church is God’s antitypical Temple; bat that as St Peter prints out it Is not yet constructed as a Temple Each consecrated child of God. begot ten of the Holy Spirit is s firing stone in preparation for a place be that gtori oos Temple soon to be constructed. These living stones are God’s workmanship. He works in them by the Spirit of Troth; and by Hls providences He shapes them, polishes them, develops their characters, and makes them ready for the coming building. The Pastor believes St Paul’s thought in the text to be that wherever God may dwell is necessarily holy—Hls temple or Hls tabernacle; and that any wilful or intentional sin. depraving that temple or tabernacle, Would be an offense against God. If Christiana who have received the begetting of the Holy Spirit could but comprehend this lesson. It would have a powertnl influence upon their Uveal